1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a switch and a recording medium such as an integrated circuit (IC) card using the same.
2. Description of Related Art
A switch 100, shown in FIG. 1, that is used in electronic equipment or the like has switched an electric circuit on or off by moving a movable contact 111 provided in an operation portion 110 of the switch 100 backwards and forwards or stirring it based on any switching operations by a user to establish contact or non-contact condition of the movable contact 111 with a fixed contact 121 of a detection portion 120 of the switch 100.
In a switch wherein the movable contact 111 has been switched so as to be in contact or non-contact with the fixed contact 121, if any failure in contact occurs by wear and/or corrosion on the movable contact 111 and the fixed contact 121, it may be difficult to switch the electric circuit on or off.
Accordingly, a contactless switch has been developed such that a magnet 112 and a magnetic-field-sensing element (for example, Hall element) 122 are used, as shown in FIG. 2, in place of the movable contact and the fixed contact. Such the contactless switch has recognized any switching operations by moving the magnet 112 backwards and forwards or stirring it based on any switching operations by a user so that the magnetic-field-sensing element 122 can detect any alteration in magnetic field generated when the magnet 112 moves. For example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. S58-80229 has disclosed such a contactless switch. In this contactless switch, a magnet member is attached to an outer surface of a sliding rod that is jointed to a lever and a Hall integrated circuit detects any alteration in magnetic field generated when the magnet member moves based on any lever operations by the user so that the contactless switch can switch an electric circuit on or off.